Fornia



B. R. VAN VALKENBURG.

TRACK VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1913;

1,1 96,1 83. Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BURT R. VAN VALKENBURG, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO AMERICAN PHOTO PLAYER COMPANY, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA.

TRACK-VALVE.

Application filed November 4, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURT R. VAN VAL- KuNBUuo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Track- Valves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved valve for use on pneumatic players, orchestrions and like musical instruments, by which auxiliary devices such as drums, bells, whistles and devices for producing various musical effects may be manually thrown into operation.

The principal object of my invention is to construct a valve device having a passage which is normally closed by a flexible self adjusting valve disk.

Other objects are to provide a device which is mechanically simple in construc tion, eflicient in operation and easily attached to the musical instrument.

The improved device is particularly adapted to be placed on the instruments used in moving picture houses, close to the keyboard thereof so that the operator in following a picture, can, by depressing the proper valves, produce various effects which add to the realism of the picture.

In order to make the invention clear, the preferred embodiment thereof is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the valve showing the same removed from its supporting structure. Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation taken from the left of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view in section through the valve disk and passage therefrom. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the valve is connected to the controlled device.

Referring to the corresponding parts in the several views by the same numerals of reference, 1 denotes a rectangular base or block having holes 2 through which suitable means may be inserted to attach the same to the supporting structure shown at 3, (see Fig. and which is usually the front of the instrument case.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

Serial No. 799,120.

On the side of the block is a V -shaped notch 42 formed by cutting out a triangular portion from one side thereof. A horizontal passage 5 extends from notch f to the center of the clock and adjacent the front thereof, said passage being substantially perpendicular to the forward edge of the notch. This passage intersects a vertical passage 6 which is adapted to be normally closed by an improved form of valve.

The latter consists of a disk 7 having a flat surface and a spherical-surface and having a soft pad 8 on its flat face and which is mounted 011 the arm 9. This arm extends through an opening in the case 3 and is there provided with a suitable form of finger grip 10.

The arm 9 is normally parallel to the block 1 and has its rear end bent upwardly as at 11 and pivotally mounted in a slot 12 in the base 1. This arm is held in position by a spring 13, which has coils 14. mounted in slots lt on the same pivot 15 which carries arm 9. From the coils 14 a loop 16 passes downward and then along the sides of arm 9 to a point adjacent the disk 7 where it passes under the arm 9 and bears against the lower side of the same. The end of said coil 1st lies in a groove 17 in the upper face of the block 1 so as to not interfere when the block is attached to a fiat surface.

The valve disk 7 which is shown enlarged in Fig. 4, is seated in a notch 18 in arm 9, the bottom of said notch being made substantially spherical as indicated at 19. The siherical surface of the arm contacts with the spherical surface of the valve disk 7. The disk is loosely held on this spherical surface by a screw 20 passing through a hole 21 in the arm 9, in which hole the screw has considerable clearance. The head of the screw is in a like manner positioned to allow a slight clearance between the underside and the bottom of the countersink 22, formed in the under face of the arm 9. Vith this fastening it will be apparent that the disk 7 is capable of a limited motion in any direction, and hence the face will be self adjusting to the plane of the underside of block 1.

From passage 5 a tube 24 leads to a pneumatic valve structure 25 of any preferred form, which in turn operates the particular device by admitting air tension to a tube such as 26 leading thereto.

ln use, the spring 13 pressing against the arm 9 holds the disk 7 over the passage 6, and owing to the loose connection between elements 9 and 7, the latter always makes a perfect seat on block 1 and prevents all leak age. When the outer end of the arm is depressed, the disk is pulled downward opening passage 6 and allowing a flow of air therethrough, through passage 5 and the tube 2% to the valve 25, which in turn places the device in communication with the vacuum or air pressure as the case may be, means for producing and using which are well known in the musical art, and which means it is not deemed necessary here to show.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a device which effectively accomplishes the objects as hereintofore set forth and it will be understood that while I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of 'my invention, changes may be made in form and minor detail without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A valve for the purpose described comprising a base, a passage therethrough, an arm pivotally mounted on said base, a. valve disk loosely mounted on said arm and adapted to close said passage, means contacting with said arm to hold said valve disk against said base, said arm projecting beyond the front of the base and a finger grip on the forward end of the arm.

2. A valve for the purpose described comprising a base, a passage therethrough, an arm. pivotally mounted in said base, a spherical surface on said arm in alinement with said passage, a valve disk loosely mounted on said seat, means for retaining said valve disk in contact with said base over said passage, said arm projecting beyond the front of the base and a finger grip on the forward end of the arm.

'3. A valve for the purpose described comprising a base, a passage therethrough, an arm pivotally mounted in said base, a seat intermediate the length of said arm in alinement with the passage through said base, a valve disk loosely mounted on said seat, a spherical surface on one side of said disk contacting with said seat, a flat surface on the other side adapted to contact with said base and cover said passage therethrough, spring means adapted to retain said disk in contact with said base, said arm projecting beyond the front of the base and a finger grip on the forward end of the arm.

4. A valve device for the purpose described comprising in combination, a base having a plane under-surface, an arm pivotally mounted on said base, a self alining valve disk loosely mounted on said arm, and spring means for forcing said arm upwardly to bring the valve in contact with the lower face of the base, said base having a second face sul'istantially at right angles to the lower one and having a passage substantially at right angles to the lower face, the base member having also a notch having plane faces cut therein from the side perpendicular to the lower face, and having a second passage which intersects said first mentioned passage and which is substantially at right angles to one of the faces of the notch.

5. A valve device comprising in combination, an arm, a supporting member to which said arm is pivotally connected, a valve disk carried by said arm, and a spring wire forming a loop which contacts with said arm and which is coiled about the pivot of said arm.

6. A valve device comprising in combination, an arm, a supporting member to which said arm is pivotally connected, a valve disk carried by said arm, and a spring wire forming a loop which contacts with said arm, and which is coiled about the pivot of said arm, said supporting member having sockets in which the ends of said spring wire are seated.

7. A valve device comprising in combination, a base having two faces substantially at right angles one of which is a substantially plane face and having a passage substantially at right angles to said plane face, and a valve disk arranged to close said passage, said base member having a notch cut therein from the side perpendicular to said plane face and having a second passage which intersects said first mentioned passage and which is substantially at right angles to one of the faces of said notch.

8. A valve for the purpose described comprising in combination, a block having a smooth under surface and having a vertical passage opening on the under side and a horizontal passage communicating with said vertical passage, and also having three parallel slots at the rear and two parallel grooves in alinement with the two outside slots, a supporting member transversely disposed in said slots, an arm curved upwardly at its rear and pivoted to said supporting member and extending longitudinally underneath said block, a spherically curved portion carried by said arm and positioned directly beneath the opening of said vertical passage, said spherically curved portion having an opening therethrough, a valve disk having a spherically curved surface disposed on said first mentioned curved porporting the same, and a finger grip on said tion means for loosely mounting said valve arm, substantially as described. 10 disk in position, a soft pad carried by said In testimony whereof I aifix my signature valve disk, a looped spring having coils at in presence of two witnesses.

' the rear thereof said coils lying in the two BURT R. VAN VALKENBURG.

outside slots in said block and having their Witnesses: ends lying in said grooves the loop extend- ETHEL VAN VALKENBURG, ing underneath said arm and resiliently sup- W. A. STOCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

